Pivotal Education Ltd Training adults to inspire The Pivotal Curriculum For Behaviour and Safety Unit 1: Culture
2 Section 1.1 Behaviour Strategies Best behaviour strategies Where you learned them
3 Section 1.2 A quick self- audit of your current practice Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree or Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree I am careful about how I speak to students. I am consistent in managing behaviour. I tell students the rules for my classroom. I plan what I m going to say in conversations with students about behaviour. I have excellent working relationships with other members of staff. I focus on rewarding good behaviour. I chase up students who miss deadlines and detentions. I stick to a stepped system of sanctions. I seek support and advice on dealing with students with challenging behaviour when I need it. I am confident at managing behaviour in practical lessons.
4 Section 1.3 The Asch Experiment x Section 1.4 Emotional resilience.for adults The amygdala acts as a storehouse of emotional memory. It is poised like an alarm company where operators stand ready to send out emergency messages. It triggers fight/flight hormones ( Right! I m off! ), mobilises centres for movement and activates the cardiovascular system. The amygdala has a privileged position as an emotional sentinel, able to hijack the brain. It can send urgent messages, which are sometimes, if not often, out of date.
5 The first five minutes Outstanding behaviour management starts at the door of the classroom with an Oscar winning performance. A high- energy, infectious and irresistible character who interests, provokes and engages. The first five minutes is critical. Expend some energy in this. Plan and rehearse it well. Your performance as a teacher is a series of brilliant cameo roles. Short bursts of highly engaging performance designed to inject eagerness into every student. Your enthusiasm must be infectious and your direction unstoppable. In the first 5 minutes you are meeting, greeting, smiling, shaking hands, being pleased to see them, handing out responsibilities, making students feel, not just important but irreplaceable, Thank goodness you have arrived! Your time keeping/negotiating/economic skills are much needed today. Catching students following the routine and reinforcing, marking tallies on the chart. Students who are doing the right thing are deliberately acknowledged first, those wobbling are spoken to quietly. In this opening salvo you need to make the students feel valued and important, curious and eager. It is your performance that breaks them out of their breakfast/journey in/ what s on this weekend mindset and flips them into learning.
6 Section 1.5 Caring and deadly habits Seven Caring Habits Seven Deadly Habits 1. Supporting 1. Criticising 2. Encouraging 2. Blaming 3. Listening 3. Complaining 4. Accepting 4. Nagging 5. Trusting 5. Threatening 6. Respecting 6. Punishing 7. Negotiating differences 7. Bribing, rewarding to control Habits of teachers who manage behaviour well: They meet and greet at the door of the room. They persistently catch students doing the right thing. They teach students the behaviours that they want to see. They teach students how they would like to be treated. They reinforce conduct/attitudes that are appropriate to context. They agree rules/routines/expectations with their students and consistently apply them with positive and negative consequences. They sustain a passion for their subject that breaks through the limiting self- belief of some students. They relentlessly work to build mutual trust even when trust is broken, time is wasted and promises are not kept. They refuse to give up on any student. They keep their emotion for when it is most appreciated by students.
7 Practical routines they use... They teach routines relentlessly and at times obsessively! More mature mechanisms for students to answer questions than hands up. A routine for delivering instructions MINTOS (Materials, In/Out of seat, Time, Outcome, Start/stop signal). Checking for understanding to encourage questions, If I haven t explained that properly please tell me now. Creative signage that reinforces learning thresholds, rules and agreements; fishing for mobile phones, routines on the door, marking physical and learning boundaries Countdown embellished with clear instructions, allowing students to finish their conversations. Arrival and dismissal personal acknowledgement, friendly, interested in the individual. Section 1.6 Classroom management habits Your good classroom management habits Your bad classroom management habits
8 Section 1.7 Why the dog won t show its eyes time back way way back befor people got cleavver they had the 1st knowing. They los it when they go the cleverness and now the cleverness is gone as wel. Every thing has a shape and so does the nite only you cant see the shape of note nor you cant think it. If you put your self right you can know it. Not with knowing in your head but with the 1st knowing. Where the number creaper grows on the dead stoans and the groun is sour for 3 days digging the nite stil knows the shape of itself tho we don't. Some times the nite is the shape of a ear only it anint a ear we know the shape of. Lissening back for all the souns whatre gone from us. The hummering of the dead towns and the voyces befor the towns ben there. Befor the iron ben and fireben only littl. Lissening for whats coming as wel. Time back way way back 1 time it wer Ful of the.
9 Section 1.8 Fifteen Faces 1 2 3 4 5
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12 Section 1.9 What do you expect? You see, really and truly, apart from the things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated. I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you because you always treat me like a lady and always will' Pygmalion, Bernard Shaw Even in schools where behaviour is shaky, the community struggling and the constant measuring of progress infuriating outstanding teachers sustain high expectations of children. They retain an enthusiasm and idealism of newly qualified teachers that is often contrary to their experience of the system. They may not expect a great deal of change in what comes in from the world outside the school but they expect a great deal from the children they teach. Experience weathers expectations and colours them. Human beings naturally collect and form stereotypes over time. We have all heard the opinions of those who have been battered by the storms so much that their expectations are firmly and negatively set, I ve seen your sort before, Those children, from that estate are born to fail. The connection between high expectations and achievement and low expectations and failure is well documented. In Rosenthal and Jacobsen's Pygmalion in the Classroom experiments students were given an IQ test to predict their achievement in the next academic year. The teachers were told which children would surge' forward and which children would not. In fact the test scores were ignored and students were randomly grouped as surgers' and non- surgers'. Over the course of a school year those identified as surgers' achieved significant improvements in standardised tests, those identifies as non- surgers' did not. The expectations of the teachers had been the pivotal element. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jane Elliot tried to bring the realities of racism to her all white class. She told her pupils a pseudo- scientific explanation of how eye colour defined people that dramatically affected achievement. The brown- eyed students, she told them, were inferior to blue eyed students. Brown eyed students were described as untrustworthy, lazy and stupid while blue- eyed students were given extra privileges. She segregated the two groups and made a point of praising the blue- eyed children and being negative to the brown. The transformation was dramatic. The blue- eyed children were bossy and derogatory towards their brown- eyed classmates. The brown- eyed students quickly became withdrawn, timid and defeated. Blue- eyed students
improved their grades and were succeeding with tasks that had seemed out of reach before while even the most gifted brown- eyed students stumbled over simple questions. 13 Simply put, when teachers expect students to do well and show intellectual growth, they do; when teachers do not have such expectation performance and growth are not as encouraged and may in fact be discouraged in a number of ways. We know this as the self- fulfilling prophecy and it plays havoc with learning, assessment and behaviour. The self- fulfilling prophecy Your expectations translate into how you arrange the class, where students sit, how they are grouped, your diligence in preparation and the amount of risk that you will take and the amount of responsibility you delegate. When we expect children to misbehave we tend to take less risk in the activities we ask them to do. When we expect the class to act responsibly, for children to learn independently our planning changes. Students expectations are easily set and not easily unpacked. Adjusting them is part of the skill of outstanding teachers. Their rituals and routines are learned and embedded from home, school and other adults. While challenging their inappropriate habits consider how you can replace them with more productive routines. Your expectations are communicated in how you discuss learning with children. Spoon- feed targets to students and they get the idea that you think they cannot think. Deliberately structure target discussions and you can help pitch expectations and leave the student with targets they own; even when some of them were guided by your own experience and knowledge of the student. Starting each new day with a clean sheet is more than just erasing the consequences to zero. It means resetting your expectations, checking your language and maintaining a firm self- awareness. Your emotional brain needs to be kept in check. While your rational brain wipes the slate clean the emotional brain holds more stubborn stains. It stands ready to reveal past sins in an instant. When the community surrounding the children strangles high expectations gently counter them by making a clear division between what is expected outside and what is expected in this class or school. At Bannockburn School this is how we do things..., or When you walk into this classroom remember how we do things, remember the behaviours that are different. In many Independent schools these absolutes surround the children. The consistency of tradition is overwhelming. Like good parents you cannot put a rizla paper between their consistent front. The rules and many of the expectations are not elastic, they are not constantly adjusted for individuals. The children learn the precise behaviours that are appropriate to the context, they take the values home, they affect the rest of their lives. In teaching we play the cards we are dealt. We work to achieve the best for every child.
Even though the deck of cards that you have been dealt may not be the same as the teacher in the independent sector you can still promote absolutes in behaviour. Persistently demand that This is how we do things' and, in time, what seems a high expectation now will be an accepted part of daily routine. 14 Our expectations are affected by staffroom banter as they are by difficult lessons and tricky interactions with parents. The most able, the least able and those in between all need your dogged pursuit of high expectations. Even when these expectations fight against your experience, preconceptions and stereotypes. Even when Trevor tells you he s not the sharpest knife in the box. Even when his mum tells you the same thing. Practical strategies for managing your expectations Start each day with a truly clean sheet by ratcheting up your self awareness, refusing to join in with labeling amongst colleagues and countering negative banter with positive reflections In your own mind separate work and behaviour and write down your expectations for each. Use these in target setting discussions. Use an extended vocabulary and refuse to dumb down your language. The more children are surrounded by language that challenges the faster they learn it and widen their vocabulary. Along with your Just for today don t get angry mantra remind yourself that When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change Regularly reinforce specific expectations for and with the children. Display them clearly and refer to them tirelessly.
15 Section 1.10 What is wrong with the culture in this classroom? What behaviour and routines need addressing quickly? What advice would you give to the teacher on establishing this shift in culture quickly? Which consistencies in teacher behaviour have the most positive effect on learner disruption? In three sentences describe the culture in your classroom/teaching space that you are striving for. What would the effect be if we put aside some of our personal preferences and everyone strove for the same exceptionally high standards?
16 Section 1.11 Teacher Responses Learner Intuitive response Counter intuitive response I ain t doing it Oh yes you are. I ve noticed that it is not working, lets try I m not listening. Take a moment to think carefully about your next choice. I hate this I know where you are coming from He isn t doing any work either WILL YOU JUST GET ON! You are a bad teacher You are not working hard enough. I know this is difficult, can we see if
17 Section 1.12 Consistency in practice Consistent language; consistent response: Referring to the agreement made between staff and students, simple and clear expectations reflected in all conversations about behaviour. Consistent follow up: Ensuring certainty at the classroom, faculty and senior management level. Never passing problems up the line, teachers taking responsibility for behaviour interventions, seeking support but never delegating. Consistent positive reinforcement: Routine procedures for reinforcing, encouraging and celebrating appropriate behaviour. Consistent consequences: Defined, agreed and applied at the classroom level as well as established structures for more serious behaviours. Consistent, simple rules/agreements/expectations referencing promoting appropriate behaviour, icons, symbols and visual cues, interesting and creative signage. Consistent respect from the adults: Even in the face of disrespectful students! Consistent models of emotional control: Emotional restraint that is modelled and not just taught, teachers as role models for learning, teachers learning alongside students. Consistently reinforced rituals and routines for behaviour around the site: In classrooms, in common areas, at reception. Consistent environment: Display the quality of a good school, consistent visual messages and echoes of core values, positive images of students rather than marketing slogans.
18 Section 1.13 Example of Single A4 Staff Agreement on Daily Practice Behaviour and learning management Our Learning Community Our key purpose is to ensure the well being and success of all our learners. In order to ensure success for all, we have in place a range of interventions to support students, develop positive relationships and refocus on learning. Poor conduct has consequences for learning and achievement. High expectations of staff and students make a positive contribution. Absolute Consistencies in Adult Behaviour There are 5 consistencies that all staff will uphold in all interventions: At XXXXX adults: 1. Model positive behaviours. 2. Meet and greet at the door. Ready, Respectful, Safe displayed and taught. 3. We will not shout at learners. 4. Disruptive learners will be calmly and slowly stepped through sanction steps giving take up time, every time. 5. We will follow up every time, personally and engage in reflective dialogue with learners. Seeking support with an incident SLT will be carrying out Learning Walks during the day to support staffing with daily teaching and to ensure we are a positive learning community. To support staff in lessons Senior Staff in the school operate a Red button system, supported by senior staff. This is to be used for very serious incidents needing a quick response: learner/staff at risk of harm, serious defiance, swearing at a member of staff. All learners should be given the opportunity to settle and get on task. The role of Red button is to support not simply to remove. The classroom teacher is still responsible for the child s learning, even if they are removed. Rewards: Learners behaving well are those who perform to above expected standards. Post cards and phone calls home have the most lasting impact. Remember it is not just what you give but the way you give it that counts. Sanctions: Sanctions at XXXXXXX have a learning focus, build relationships and show learners how to take responsibility. Catch up learning replaces Detention. Restorative approaches are encouraged and supported.
19 Section 1.14 Take- away One rabbit you would like to shoot: Three ways I m going to change my own behaviour: Three truths or values I m going to change in my learners: Other important thoughts to take away
20 Section 1.15 Whole Staff Change 30 days to make a change action research. Select one behaviour that everyone will make a consistent effort to tackle for the next 30 days. Personal Practice Ask a teaching assistant or trusted student to tally the number of positive comments against the number of negative interventions that you make. A simple column chart labeled + and will do. In the next lesson try and remove all of your negative re- inforcers. Consider how different pupils respond to this change. Try doubling the positive comments or removing them altogether and tracking the students behaviour and motivation. Compare your results over 5 lessons with the same group with colleagues.
21 Pivotal Education Ltd is an education training consultancy working across the whole of the UK and internationally. Founded in 2001, Pivotal Education has always been committed to providing exceptional training and support for teachers, school leaders and other professionals working with young people. We are the leading specialists in Behaviour Management and Safeguarding in the UK. Our aim is simple: to train adults to inspire young people. Our acclaimed in-house training team work with a huge variety of teachers and educators in diverse settings. Our live training sends consistent ripples through your teaching teams, our online training sustains changes in practice and our licensed instructors scheme embeds lasting cultural change. From highly successful institutions to those in challenging situations, from early years to post -16 learners, Pivotal training inspires, motivates and creates profound cultural change. Our work extends to 20 countries. We are COBIS (Council of British International Schools) Approved Consultants. Learn more Pivotal Podcast Download Pivotal Podcasts for free: Over 120 episodes, 150,000 downloads 5* itunes podcast pivotalpodcast.com Videos, news, latest offers facebook.com/pivotaleducation Paul Dix @pivotalpaul Ellie Dix @pivotalellie